A Sturtevant man is accused of possessing child pornography after investigators found that he had started putting them on a website.
Steven C. Christenson, 48, of Sturtevant, was charged by the Racine County District Attorney’s Office with 10 counts of possession of child pornography. If convicted on all charges, Christenson faces up to life in prison and/or fined up to $1 million.
According to the criminal complaint, an investigator with the Racine County Sheriff’s Department received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children of child pornography being posted to a website that Christenson paid for. The website was linked to a business called Sudden Link Communications, and investigators learned that the website did contain child pornography.
Investigators searched Christenson’s home at 8333 Fox Haven Chase and found electronic devices, a laptop that contained the pornography, girls’ panties, thumb drives, cameras, weapons, drug paraphernalia, and marijuana. Another man was found living in the basement of the home and Christenson lived upstairs.
Christenson, who was previously convicted of possession of child pornography in 2001, told police that the laptop found in the home was his and that he used it to download the photos and videos. He told investigators that he doesn’t share, make or sell the pornography. They found nine images and a video depicting girls between the ages of five and 10-years old.
A preliminary hearing has been set for 8:30 a.m. Feb. 2 in front of Racine County Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch. Christenson is being held on a $10,000 bond.